Interchangeable sign



Nov. 26, 1935. M. A. SORE'NSEN VEI AL 2,022,160

INTERCHANGEABLE S IGN Filed Nov. 6, 1934 gwue/wboc MarTin A Sorensen Axel Berglu nd Patented Nov. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES INTERGHANGEAB'LE SIGN Martin A. Sorensenand Axel Berglund; Lincoln; Nebr., assignor to- Interchangeable Signs, Inca Lincoln, Nebr., a corporationof Nebraska Application November 6, 1934, Serial No. 751,702

2 CIaims.

Our invention relates to signs and morefparticularly to signs involving a change in. the message conveyed by the sign.

\ The object of the invention is the. provision of 5 a sign post having projecting devices for releasably securing any of. a. plurality ofsignsthereto.

Another of our objects. is the provision. of a sign'having messages on both faces thereof. the

10,. sign beingreversible.

Another of our objects is the provisionof. a latching device for. holding the sign on the. post in: such a manner that it will not chatter in the wind.

15.; Another of our objectsis; the provision. of a post carrying a sign and. having an anchor so positioned as to determine the position of. the post relative to the curbof the pavement.

Having in view these. objects and others which 20 will be pointed out in the following description,

we will now refer to the drawing, in which Figure l: a view in: perspective of the sign post.

Figures 2 and 3 are views showing the two 25 opposite faces of a sign which is adapted to be detachably secured to the post shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view in vertical section showing a latching device for holding the sign in place.

Figure 5 is a view in vertical section showing the relation of the post to the surface of the soil and to the curb of the pavement.

The post itself is preferably made of channel 7 iron with squared sides as shown in Figure 1.

35 The post I is provided at its upper end with means for detachably securing interchangeable signs and it is further provided at an intermediate point with an anchor II. The anchor is secured to the post I!) as by welding and it consists of two parts, the lower being triangular to facilitate its entry into the soil while the upper part at I2 is outturned to resist penetration to too great a depth into the soil and to firmly anchor the post against movement. As shown in Figure the post is sunk to a depth where the flange I2 will be underneath the surface of the soil and entirely concealed.

The upper portion of the post I0 may carry 50 a permanent sign as shown at I3 in Figure 1. When used as a traffic sign in the vicinity of school houses it may carry the name of the school as shown or any other permanent idea like School Zone. Immediately above the sign I3 is an L- 55 shaped bracket I4 and below the sign I3 is a spring, clip for. engaging the signwhich is. to cover the; sign. I3.

The signs shown in- Figures 2 and 3 are rectangular and slightly larger in. their dimensions thanthe sign [3. The. signs I5 andIB are pro- 5 vided with. signindicia such as. Stop School on the sign I5 and Slow School on the sign I6. It is preferred-to. provide these signs with embossed indicia. and for this; reason alight grade of sheet metal. is. employed. and the two signs 1.0 L5, and t6, are. placed back to back and, united in. any desirable manner}. as by welding. The combined signs I.5- I6 areprovided with an upper slot I] for. engaging. the bracket I4. They are also provided. with a; lower slot I8 for engaging 1-5 the, spring. clip.

Referring now to. Figures; 1 and 4, the post III is provided. with. a. double.- projeotion I9 having a narrow vertical channel between the two parts. A. collar. 211, projects. rearwardly or. inside the channeledpost III. A bolt. 2'I. passes through this channel and is provided with-"a, coil' spring 22 which. normally urges; the. bolt rearwardly or toward' the inner side of the post W. The bolt terminates at its front end in a head 23 which 25 is adapted to seat against turning in a groove between the double block I9. At the same time the head 23 is of such a length that while it is in its horizontal position it passes readily through the slot I8. The double block I9 seats snugly in the slot I8 but projects slightly beyond the side so that the head 23 may be turned into latching engagement in the block I9. This is best shown in Figure 4 in which the vertical dotted line represents the outer edge of the block I9.

The sign as above described is admirably adapted for use in controlling traiiic on streets and highways in the vicinity of school houses. The janitor or one of the boys may be made responsible for changing the signs at the proper times. The number of children crossing the street or highway is greatest before the opening of school, after the closing of school and during intermissions such as the noon hour. At such times the sign I5 is in effect tostop all cars temporarily before passing the sign. While the school is in session it is only occasionally that the children cross the street or highway and at such times the sign I 6 is left exposed to warn the motorist to watch out for children who might be crossing at the time. At night and during vacations, the signs I5 and I6 may be stored in the school house so that the sign I3 is the only one exposed to merely give the motorist the information contained on the sign I3.

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The sign also takes into consideration the presence of school children who are sometimes apt to be mischievous. The anchor is seated underneath the surface of the soil making it very difficult for a boy to lift the post out of the soil. The weight of the soil on the flange i2 and the resistance encountered is too great for a school boy to lift. The flange I2 is also so positioned that the boy will probably face the pavement. while attempting to lift it and this would cause him to straddle the post with his two feet on the flange I I2. He would then find it an impossible task to lift both himself and the post. The latch bolt 2| readily snaps into place andlatches the sign without any difficulty whatever. If it is desired to provide a boy-proof securing means, the rear end of the bolt 2! is apertured for the insertion of a padlock.

The sign has been designed initiallyand primarily for use in controlling the traffic in the vicinity of school houses. It is'obvious, however, that the sign may have other uses not only on streets and highways but in all other places where interchangeable signs may be used. We therefore wish it to be understood that we claim all of the equivalents of the structures recited in the appended claims.

It should be noted that the anchor ll secured to the post l in a position such as to determine the position of the posts relative to the pavement. The sign at the side of the pavement must necessarily face the traflic. The anchor H is thus secured in a plane at right angles to the plane of the sign i3 and it is secured to the post on the side which is tobe away from the curb and parallel thereto. The importance of this feature resides in the fact that such posts are often set by unskilled labor with the result that they are very likely to be set in such a manner that the sign does not face the oncoming traffic. The anchor ll cannot be brought too close to the curb'of the pavement and the post must therefore be set with the anchor on the side of the post opposite the pavement. After the position of the post is determined, an unskilled laborer, no matter how careless, will have no difiicultyin correctly setting all of the posts.

Having thus described our invention in such 5 full, clear, and exact terms that its construction and operation will be readily understood by others skilled in the art to which it pertains, what we claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A post and a permanent sign secured thereto, a temporary sign adapted to completely cover said permanent sign, a hook projecting forwardly from said post at the top edge of said permanent sign, a projection from said post passing through the lower edge portion of said permanent sign, said temporary sign having an aperture in the upper portion thereof for receiving said hook and having an aperture in the lower portion thereof for receiving said projection, and a springpressed bolt passing through said projection and through the lower aperture of said temporary sign.

2. A sign post and. a removable and reversible sign therefor, said sign having indicia on both faces thereof and. being provided with elongated apertures in the upper and lower edge portions thereof, a hook projecting forwardly from said post for engagement with said sign through the upper aperture thereof, a projection on said post for engaging said sign through the lower aperture thereof, a bolt having an elongated head and passing through said projection and adapted for passage through the lower slot of said sign whereby the turning of said bolt will cause said head to bear againstsaid sign at the forward surface thereof, and a coiled spring surrounding the rear surface of said bolt for drawing said head tightly against the forward surface of said sign to there- I by prevent vibration and chattering. 4,

MARTIN A. SORENSEN. AIEL BERGLUND. 

